Berryville tae kwon do academy teaches the martial arts, life skills

View larger image Instructor Zach Senior practices a kick at the United States Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy that recently opened in Berryville. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Senior warms up by stretching. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Senior warms up by jumping. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Senior practices a tae kwon do kick. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Senior practices a tae kwon do kick. Dennis Grundman/Daily View larger image Zach Senior kicks with the Korean flag hanging in the background. Dennis Grundman/Daily

By Linwood Outlaw III - loutlaw@nvdaily.com

BERRYVILLE -- For 29-year-old Zach Senior, tae kwon do is all about three things: discipline, self-respect and self-confidence.

In Senior's mind, the Korean form of martial arts isn't so much about self-defense as it is about achieving a healthier lifestyle. He began practicing the art six years ago, and he credits it for helping him to make positive changes, like quitting smoking.

"Physically, I feel so much better than I did a couple of years ago," said Senior, an instructor at the new United States Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy facility in Berryville. "Mentally, [I'm] just more confident. I'm a little more outgoing. I'm not too shy anymore out in public. Giving [back] to the community, giving [back] to the kids, teaching them, has definitely improved me as well. It's improved my life in so many ways. It's hard to name them all."

Grand Master Eunggil Choi, founder of the academy and an award-winning tae kwon do champion, opened the 13,000-square-foot training center at 850 W. Main St. nearly a month ago.

Choi opened his academy in 1987 and has other facilities -- or dojangs -- in Winchester, Great Falls and Leesburg, the academy's headquarters. The Berryville facility will offer training in tae kwon do, hapkido and jujitsu. So far, Senior says, about 30 people have signed up to participate in the facility's daily, 50-minute, adult and children's martial arts classes.

Instructors recommend that students attend class at least twice a week, insisting that by sticking to that schedule, they can possibly earn a first-degree black belt in about three years. However, achieving lofty goals in martial arts, Choi says, requires mental toughness and a "positive attitude." He says lessons learned through the arts particularly help younger students.

Choi says he wants students to learn discipline and the value of respecting parents and paying attention in school.

Choi says he puts a big emphasis on being successful both inside the dojang and in the classroom. He usually asks his school-age students to bring their report cards in for review on a regular basis. The Berryville dojang also offers after-school care where pupils finish their homework before starting their workouts, Senior said. Berryville's facility is different from the academy's other three locations in that it combines the practice of tae kwon do with a fully equipped fitness center.

But, the academy isn't just about teaching chops and kicks, or winning black belts and competitions. Choi and his pupils are also fighting for another cause -- cancer awareness.

The academy hosts an annual "Kick Cancer Out of the World" tournament to raise money for the American Cancer Society and care facilities such as the Blue Ridge Hospice in Winchester. The academy has set a goal of raising $1 million for cancer research. Senior said officials are planning to hold similar fundraising efforts in Berryville in the near future.

The cause means a great deal to Choi. His father, Chan Myung Choi, succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 67 in 1993, the same year the academy launched its "Kick Cancer Out of the World" campaign.

It was Eunggil Choi's dad who introduced him to martial arts when he was 6 years old.

Senior said he admires Choi's dedication to his craft. "It's his life. He's at the school from early [in the morning] until late at night, every day," Senior said. "He's always doing stuff for the community. So, I've definitely grown to respect him and grown to look up to him. He's helped give me direction."

Eunggil Choi, himself a father of three children, is an 8th-degree black belt and was the Korean Special Forces tae kwon do champion from 1975 to 1977. The United States Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy, meanwhile, has two competition teams and a demonstration team that compete around the world. The academy brought home 13 medals from last year's junior Olympics in Austin, Texas. Tae kwon do has been an Olympic event since 2000.

Aside from physical fitness and combat skills, Senior hopes students at the academy learn "to always make the right decisions and know how to handle confrontations really well.

"[We want them to] do the right things, avoid peer pressure and be a strong individual," Senior said.

To learn more about programs offered by the United States Taekwondo Martial Arts Academy, call 955-0055 or visit their web site at www.ustma.com.